Mark Easton Earnest was promoted to partner of Jones Day in Irvine.

Earnest is a member of the firm's labor & employment practice. He focuses on helping his clients implement correct employment policies to avoid litigation. Earnest also defends companies against class actions and individual lawsuits alleging wage/hour and accessibility violations, as well as litigating trade secret and employee mobility issues.

Jason Corbitt Wright was promoted to partner of Jones Day in Los Angeles.

Wright is a member of the firm's business & tort litigation practice. His practice focuses on defending companies in consumer class actions - particularly matters involving claims based on unfair competition laws and the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act. In addition, Wright has represented companies in civil and criminal investigations by the government.

Ryan T. Bricker was promoted to partner of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP in San Francisco.

Bricker is a member of the firm's trademark & copyright team. He focuses his practice on litigation involving trademark, copyright, Internet law, and related commercial issues.

Frank H. Busch was promoted to partner of Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP in San Francisco.

Busch's practice focuses on complex trial and appellate litigation. He represents companies, along with state and local governments, in a broad range of disputes including intellectual property, contracts, unfair competition, and trade secret issues in both California state court and federal courts across the country.

Jeffrey David Dintzer joined Alston & Bird LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Alston & Bird LLP announced Jeffrey David Dintzer has joined as partner in Los Angeles. Dintzer focuses on administrative proceedings and traditional civil litigation involving the environment, land use entitlements, and oil and gas. In particular, his experience representing oil and gas producers translates into insights and practical advice valued by clients dealing with agency oversight and in civil disputes.

Christopher M. Ahearn was promoted to partner of Fisher & Phillips LLP in Irvine.

Ahearn defends employers in all areas of employment law, focusing on complex class action and multi-party lawsuits and harassment and discrimination claims in courts and in arbitration. He counsels clients on wage and hour matters, discipline and termination, and employment policies and procedures. Ahearn also represents employers in claims brought under the California Private Attorneys General Act.

Lila Mirrashidi was promoted to deputy commissioner of policy of California Department of Business Oversight in Sacramento.

Lila Mirrashidi has been appointed deputy commissioner of policy at the California Department of Business Oversight, where she has been deputy commissioner of legal (business regulations) since 2013. Prior to that, Mirrashidi was deputy commissioner of business regulations at the California Department of Corporations from 2012 to 2013.

Shannon Marie Nessier was promoted to partner of Hanson Bridgett LLP in San Francisco.

Nessier focuses her practice on the defense of product manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and premise owners in personal injury and defective product/premise litigation, and toxic tort matters. She also provides advice and litigation defense on matters involving product and food labeling claims, Organic labeling issues under COPA, and Proposition 65 claims.

Michael Freedman was promoted to senior counsel of Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP in San Francisco.

Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP announced Michael Freedman has been promoted to senior counsel. Freedman focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, employment law, constitutional and civil rights law, and appellate litigation.

Debra Ann Schiff joined VLP Law Group LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

VLP Law Group LLP announced Debra Ann Schiff has joined the firm's real estate practice group as a partner in Los Angeles. Schiff's practice focuses on commercial leasing with a special emphasis on high-rise developments. She has helped to develop and structure office leasing programs, guidelines and documentation for clients and projects throughout the country.

Gay Crosthwait Grunfeld was promoted to managing partner of Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP in San Francisco.

Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP announced Gay Crosthwait Grunfeld has been named managing partner. Grunfeld succeeds Mike Bien, who has held the position since the firm was founded in 1990. She focuses her practice on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis on business, civil rights, and employment litigation.

Jessica Leah Sharron was promoted to partner of Alston & Bird LLP in Los Angeles.

Alston & Bird LLP announced Jessica Leah Sharron has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles. Sharron is a member of the firm's construction & government contracts group. She represents large and small government contractors across a variety of industries on compliance with federal, state, and local procurement rules and regulations and in adversarial proceedings such as pre- and post-award bid protests and False Claims Act litigation. Additionally, she represents owners, developers, and contractors in public and commercial construction projects through all phases of construction contracts.

Logan Mitchell Elliott was promoted to counsel of Venable LLP in Los Angeles.

Venable LLP announced Logan Mitchell Elliott has been promoted to counsel in Los Angeles. Elliott is a trial and appellate litigator who has represented companies and individuals in a variety of business litigation matters.

David Andrew Revelt was promoted to partner of Alston & Bird LLP in Los Angeles.

Alston & Bird LLP announced David Andrew Revelt has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles. Revelt is a member of the firm's corporate transactions & securities group, representing public and private businesses and commercial clients across several industries in a variety of complex real estate and corporate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, debt and equity financings, leasing, licensing, and joint venture arrangements.

Shareef Swamy Farag was promoted to partner of Baker Hostetler in Los Angeles.

Baker Hostetler announced Shareef Swamy Farag has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles. Farag, a member of the firm's employment group, represents employers in addressing employment law issues. He focuses his practice on wage and hour class action litigation, discrimination and harassment litigation, and traditional labor arbitration. He has first- and second-chair experience in trial and arbitration.

Paul James Beard II was promoted to partner of Alston & Bird in Los Angeles.

Alston & Bird announced Paul James Beard, II has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles. Beard is a member of the firm's environment, land use & natural resources group. He represents agricultural interests, developers, and industry associations in permitting and litigation issues arising from the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, California Environmental Quality Act, and California Coastal Act, among other statutes.

Eric Richard Bardwell was promoted to partner of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP in Irvine.

Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP announced Eric Richard Bardwell has been promoted to partner in Irvine. Bardwell's practice focuses on all aspects of wealth transfer planning, including estate planning and charitable planning. He also provides tax strategies to business owners in the sale of their businesses, and in succession planning.

Caroline Powell Donelan was promoted to partner of Blank Rome LLP in Los Angeles.

Blank Rome LLP announced Caroline Powell Donelan has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles. Donelan counsels and defends domestic and foreign corporations in all areas of employment law compliance and litigation, including wage and hour class actions, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, trade secret disputes, data protection, and alleged fiduciary breaches.

Maxwell Vaughn Pritt was promoted to partner of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in Oakland.

Boies Schiller Flexner LLP announced Maxwell Vaughn Pritt has been promoted to partner in Oakland. Pritt represents plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state court in matters including antitrust, unfair competition, class action, contract, securities, civil rights, and other disputes.

JoLynn Marie Pollard was promoted to shareholder of Hunt Ortmann Palffy Nieves Darling & Mah in Pasadena.

Hunt Ortmann Palffy Nieves Darling & Mah announced JoLynn Marie Pollard has been elevated to shareholder. Pollard represents clients facing challenges involving insurance, environmental, construction defect, business and complex tort litigation.

Erik Christopher Olson was promoted to partner of Farella Braun & Martel LLP in San Francisco.

Farella Braun & Martel LLP announced Erik Christopher Olson has been promoted to partner in San Francisco. Olson litigates patent, copyright, trade secret, trademark, trade dress, and right of publicity infringement actions, as well as disputes over licensing royalties and ownership of intellectual property.

Amanda Dorothy Hairston was promoted to partner of Farella Braun & Martel LLP in San Francisco.

Farella Braun & Martel LLP announced Amanda Dorothy Hairston has been promoted to partner in San Francisco. Hairston represents corporate policyholders in insurance coverage disputes. Her clients include companies in the technology, healthcare, retail, and financial services industries.

Margaret Johnson was promoted to partner of Foley & Mansfield PLLP in Los Angeles.

Foley & Mansfield PLLP announced Margaret Johnson has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles. Johnson focuses her practice on product liability and toxic/mass tort litigation.

Christine S. Yun Sauer was promoted to principal of Robins Kaplan LLP in Silicon Valley.

Robins Kaplan LLP announced Christine Yun Sauer has been promoted to principal in Silicon Valley. Sauer is a legal technology strategist who practices as an intellectual property trial lawyer and legal technology consultant. She represents technology companies in multimillion-dollar litigation, with particular experience working with semiconductor fabrication/packaging and life science entities, including medical device, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies.

Kirsten Diane Wolff was promoted to partner of Sideman & Bancroft LLP in San Francisco.

Sideman & Bancroft LLP announced Kirsten Diane Wolff has been promoted to partner in San Francisco. Her practice focuses on estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate and gift taxation, charitable gift planning and probate for individual clients. She also representing trustees and other fiduciaries on issues relating to California state income taxation of trusts. Additionally, Wolff assists clients with philanthropic planning and advises on ongoing tax and administration issues.

Jeffrey Harlan Reeves joined Umberg Zipser LLP as partner in Irvine.

Umberg Zipser LLP announced Jeffrey Harlan Reeves has joined as partner in Irvine. Reeves is a trial lawyer whose practice focuses on litigating complex business disputes in the trial and appellate courts, as well alternative dispute resolution settings. He represents companies from the sports, nutrition, apparel, life sciences, entertainment and other industries in business and tort cases, including handling high-profile endorsement contract disputes, trade secret misappropriation cases, and data breach class actions.

Jerry Alan Behnke was promoted to partner of Larson O'Brien LLP in Los Angeles.

Jerry Behnke is an experienced trial lawyer and former Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Deputy District Attorney. He litigates white collar criminal and complex commercial matters for Larson O'Brien LLP. He has investigated, prosecuted, and defended a wide array of criminal matters, including public corruption, wire fraud, healthcare fraud, financial services fraud, and tax violations. Mr. Behnke graduated cum laude from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles where he was a member of the law review.

Melissa A. Meister was promoted to counsel of Larson O'Brien LLP in Los Angeles.

Melissa A. Meister is an experienced trial lawyer. She handles white collar defense and complex commercial matters at Larson O’Brien LLP, including civil and criminal False Claims Act litigation, internal investigations, public corruption, and fraud disputes. Ms. Meister previously served as a trial attorney in the False Claims Section of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California. Ms. Meister clerked for the Honorable William C. Canby of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She graduated summa cum laude from The University of Arizona College of Law where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and law review.

Richard (R.C.) Harlan was promoted to counsel of Larson O'Brien LLP in Los Angeles.

Harlan has extensive experience handling complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts and arbitration, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. He represents clients in several industries, including manufacturing, entertainment, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Mr. Harlan also has experience litigating wrongful death claims and mass tort litigation. Mr. Harlan clerked for the Honorable Boyce F. Martin, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeal for the Sixth Circuit and is a cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Law and Claremont McKenna College.